London Transport Museum is launching a brand-new behind-the-scenes tour of Baker Street, one of the world’s first underground railway stations, as part of its celebrations to mark the 160th anniversary of the Tube.
When it first opened 160 years ago in 1863, the Metropolitan line was a pioneering solution to the congestion causing chaos on London’s busy streets. Baker Street is one of the seven original stations to open to the public along the line.
Today, the busy station is home to 5 underground lines and 10 platforms, the most on the Underground network. But hidden just out of sight from commuters and concealed behind locked doors lie reminders of the forward-thinkers who built the world’s first underground railway.
On this brand-new Hidden London tour, London Transport Museum’s expert guides will unlock the door to its fascinating past.
Ticket holders will be taken on an historical journey to hear what the very first Victorian passengers thought of underground travel and how the Underground grew and expanded over the next 16 decades. They will also learn how Baker Street has served not only passengers over the years, but also London Underground staff.
Guests will have the chance to explore closed-off parts of the station, including original platforms, disused lift shafts and corridors that lay hidden in plain sight – some of which last accessed by the public over 75 years ago in 1945.
They’ll also step behind the scenes to learn about the station’s history as the Operational Headquarters for London Underground -including details of staff recreational facilities such as a canteen and rifle range – and to hear first-hand accounts from those who worked there over the years.
London Transport Museum will be running its exclusive Hidden London tours at Baker Street between 6 September and 29 December 2023. Guided tours will take place on Wednesday to Sunday each week. Tickets cost £44 and can be purchased on the Museum’s website. Concessions are available.
All Hidden London tours are written by historical experts from London Transport Museum and based on content drawn from the Museum’s extensive archive and collection. The tours were named ’Best Hidden Gem in the World’ at the Tiqets’ Remarkable Venue Awards 2022 by public vote.
Additional dates to experience other Hidden London tours of disused Tube stations and secret spaces on the Underground network will also be released on 12 July.
The tours that will run in addition to Baker Street are:
September and October:
Moorgate: Metropolitan Maze – Friday to Sunday between 30 August and 03 September
On this tour you will relive the early days of the Tube’s construction when the first tunnels were dug, and discover Moorgate’s original glass tiles, abandoned tracks and even a complete Greathead shield from 1904 still in situ (the only one of its kind on the London Underground Network).
Tickets: Adult tickets £52.50 / Concession £47.50
Down Street: Churchill’s Secret Station – Wednesday to Sunday between 30 August and 24 September
*As seen on UKTV’s Secrets of the London Underground series*
Explore disused underground station Down Street, one of London’s most intriguing spaces, hidden between the Piccadilly line tracks in Mayfair. It had a short life as a working station from 1907 to 1932, before becoming the Railway Executive Committee’s top-secret headquarters in the Second World War.
You’ll hear declassified war secrets and intrigues, how the railways were kept running during the war, and the stories of those who lived and worked there – including Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who secretly took refuge there at the height of the Blitz
Tickets: Adult tickets £90 / Concession £85
PLUS: Upgrade your Down Street tour with a Cocktail Experience Every Friday and Saturday at 17.30 between 30 August and 24 September
This combined ticket prolongs your experience with a luxury cocktail and nibbles. After your Down Street tour you’ll be directed to Manetta’s Bar at nearby hotel Flemings Mayfair, a cosy, glamorous space full of secluded corners and 1930s flair where spies were once rumoured to meet.
There you will enjoy ‘Darkest Hour,’ a Churchill-themed cocktail designed specifically for the occasion and exclusively available to Hidden London guests, accompanied by tasty nibbles.
Tickets: Adult tickets £105 / Concession £100
Over 14s only. Alcoholic drinks can only be served to over 18s. Non-alcoholic alternatives are available.
Euston: The Lost Tunnels – Wednesday to Sunday between 04 October and 29 October
*As seen on UKTV’s Secrets of the London Underground series*
Discover a labyrinth of dark and dusty passageways once used by the travelling public, marvel at a gallery of preserved vintage advertising poster fragments that have been concealed for over 50 years and see the iconic Leslie Green station. Plus learn about the newest innovations to a Tube and Network Rail station that serves over 42 million passengers each year.
Tickets: Adult £44, Concessions £39
November and December:
Euston: The Lost Tunnels – Wednesday to Sunday between 01 and 12 November
Discover a labyrinth of dark and dusty passageways once used by the travelling public, marvel at a gallery of preserved vintage advertising poster fragments that have been concealed for over 50 years and see the iconic Leslie Green station. Plus learn about the newest innovations to a Tube and Network Rail station that serves over 42 million passengers each year.
Tickets: Adult £44, Concessions £39
Charing Cross: Access all areas – Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 08 November and 17 December
*As seen on UKTV’s Secrets of the London Underground series*
Walk under Trafalgar Square as you explore exclusive areas of Charing Cross station that are not accessible to the public. This tour will take you to disused parts of the station, including the Jubilee line platforms that were closed in 1999 but which you may recognise from many famous movies and TV productions since, including Skyfall (2012), Paddington Bear (2013), and TV’s Killing Eve (2019) and A Spy Among Friends (2022).
Tickets: Adult £44, Concessions £39
Aldwych: The end of the line – Wednesday to Sunday between 15 November and 17 December
*As seen on UKTV’s Secrets of the London Underground series*
Opened to the public in 1907, Aldwych was never as heavily used as originally intended and closed nearly 100 years later in 1994. The station has had a varied history; from providing shelter to Londoners during the Blitz, to being used for film and TV shoots including The ABC Murders (2018), Darkest Hour (2017), Sherlock (2014), and Atonement (2007). Explore the original ticket hall and lifts and discover abandoned platforms and inter-connecting walkways.
Tickets: Adult tickets £44; Concession £39
Special Christmas Dates:
Charing Cross: Access all areas – Wednesday and Friday (evenings), between 20 and 29 December
*As seen on UKTV’s Secrets of the London Underground series*
Walk under Trafalgar Square as you explore exclusive areas of Charing Cross station that are not accessible to the public. This tour will take you to disused parts of the station, including the Jubilee line platforms that were closed in 1999 but which you may recognise from many famous movies and TV productions since, including Skyfall (2012), Paddington Bear (2013), and TV’s Killing Eve (2019) and A Spy Among Friends (2022).
Tickets: Adult £44, Concessions £39
Moorgate: Metropolitan Maze – Wednesday to Sunday (daytime) between 20 and 29 December
*As seen on UKTV’s Secrets of the London Underground series*
On this tour you will relive the early days of the Tube’s construction when the first tunnels were dug, and discover Moorgate’s original glass tiles, abandoned tracks and even a complete Greathead shield from 1904 still in situ (the only one of its kind on the London Underground Network).
Tickets: Adult tickets £52.50 / Concession £47.50
Always On:
VIRTUAL TOUR – One Sunday evening a month
Hidden London: Discovering the Forgotten Underground
This new Hidden London tour held via Zoom takes you on a journey through 160 years of the London Underground’s history to explores how the network grew and evolved over the years. Along the way you will discover how some stations came to become ‘forgotten,’ disused, and even sometimes repurposed in surprising manners.
Featuring exclusive documents and a gallery of historical and contemporary photos from London Transport Museum’s archives, this tour delves into the history of several Hidden London sites, and even glimpses into previously unexplored areas of Oxford Circus.
Tickets: Adult £20, Concession £17.50
WALKING TOUR – Alternating Saturdays and Sundays between 03 September and 16 December
Secrets of Central London
Explore above ground to discover the secrets of Covent Garden, Kingsway, Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Victoria Embankment. This tour was written using unique findings from London Transport Museum’s archives, making it a unique occasion to discover hidden parts and little-known facts about one of the best-known locations in London.
Tickets: Adult £20, Concession £17.50
Fans who can’t get enough Hidden London content can also subscribe to the Hidden London Hangouts, a regular series hosted on London Transport Museum’s YouTube channel by team members Chris Nix, Siddy Holloway and Laura Brown, and joined by broadcaster and self-confessed Tube geek Alex Grundon.
The series takes viewers behind the scenes of the Hidden London tours programme as they explore various parts of the London transport system and share findings from their research.
